4698: The sanctity of the dead among the Muslims is
like the sanctity of the living

At the edge of my land I found
three graves – what should I do with them? Is it permissible for me to move the
remains to another place?

Praise be to Allaah.

These people were originally buried in land
for the dead (a graveyard), and they own it by virtue of being buried there. It is not
permissible to disturb them, whether by digging up the remains, walking over the graves or
any other form of disrespect. You should put up a fence around the graves so that they
will not be subjected to any disrespect, and so as to preserve their dignity, because the
sanctity of the dead among the Muslims is like the sanctity of the living. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.